NHTSA Complaint #757383 — 1989 FORD E350

BRAKE CALIPER FAILED TO RELEASE, BOILING THE BRAKE FLUID (UNBEKNOWNST TO ME UNTIL IT CAME TIME TO APPLY THE BRAKES). THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I LET IT UP COMPLETELY AND WHEN DEPRESSED, IT WENT TO THE FLOOR ONCE AGAIN. I USED THE TRANSMISSION (GEARING DOWN) AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT NEVER ILLUMINATED. WHEN REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, THE PRIMARY FAULT WAS IDENTIFIED AS EXTREMELY RUSTY FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS. ONE DID NOT RELEASE COMPLETELY AFTER A BRAKE APPLICATION, CAUSING SUFFICIENT HEAT BUILDUP TO BOIL THE BRAKE FLUID. MECHANIC SAID THE REAR BRAKES WERE BADLY OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, GIVING THE OPINION THAT WAS THE REASON THE MASTER CYLINDER INDICATOR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. UNTIL THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED, I DID NOT KNOW THAT IT WAS INCUMBENT ON THE VEHICLE OPERATOR TO OCCASIONALLY MAKE REVERSE MOVES WITH AGGRESSIVE BRAKE APPLICATIONS (DONE SEVERAL TIMES) TO CINCH UP THE REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT. THUS, OVER TIME, THE FRONT BRAKES WERE BASICALLY DOING ALMOST ALL THE BRAKING EFFORT. IF I HAD HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL REPEATEDLY, I PERHAPS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE REAR BRAKES TO ENGAGE, AND BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP WITHOUT DOWNGEARING AND USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE.*AK